Three Tips For Making A Successful Vacation Move
Time and again, Millennials have proven to be trendsetters in a number of areas and the relocation industry is no exception. According to a 2016 survey, many Millennials are opting for vacation moves; that is, they're choosing to move to a new city—either for a job or just to see what the city has to offer—with no intention of permanently settling down in the area. If you're planning on making a vacation move of your own in the near future, here are three tips that can help you do so with minimal problems.
Downsize as Much as Possible
Generally, getting rid of excess clutter before a move is a good idea, because you'll save money since you'll have less stuff to haul on the moving truck. However, you'll want to be even more ruthless about reducing your load when you're doing a vacation move. Remember, you'll only be in the area for a short period of time, so you'll also have to relocate with this stuff to another city at the end of your stay. You'll make life a whole lot easier on yourself if you travel light, and you can make a little bit of extra money by selling unneeded or unwanted items.
One thing that can be immensely helpful in this area is to keep and use items that can serve more than one purpose. For instance, plastic crates can make it easier to move items and serve as all-purpose storage in your new place. Another idea is to digitize as much of your video and music collections as possible and sell the hard copies. You'll free up space for other things and make your collection more mobile friendly.
Account for Higher Rates
A short-term move to another city can result in higher living costs. In particular, landlords may charge you a premium for short-term rental contracts (typically defined as 6 months or less). Landlords prefer longer leases (e.g. a year or more) because it can cost a lot of time and effort to locate and sign on new tenants. Charging a higher rate to short-term tenants helps cushion the financial impact of having a property sit empty for a few months. Therefore, you should be prepared to pay more for a rental if you don't plan on being in the area for a full rental period.
There are a couple of ways around this. One option is to take over someone else's lease. Use Craigslist or another online service to locate people who need to break their leases but don't want to pay the early termination fee and offer to live out the balance of their contract. You'll help them out while getting a cheaper rate on an apartment. Alternatively, you can sign on for a full lease and then find someone to take over the balance of your contract when you're ready to go.
Another option is to find a roommate who plans on staying in the apartment for the full amount of time. Be sure he or she is clear you'll be leaving early, so the person can prepare financially for those months when you won't be there.
Look for National Services
A third tip for making a successful vacation move is to look for services that are available in multiple states. For instance, get a gym membership you can use anywhere in the country. Not only does this save you time since you won't have to search for replacement services, you'll probably save money too because you'll avoid early termination fees and/or may be able to keep the service at your old rates.
For more tips on making a vacation more or help relocating your belongings to a new area, contact a moving company, such as Bekins Van Lines Inc.